It's been over a year since the last post. In case you didn't know (living under a rock or something), I'm still in Ganado. I haven't been regular with posting (says Captain Obvious). The muse hasn't struck until today. So many things happening. Good, challenging, bad, enlightening, growth causing and in general continuing the adventure this has become.
In the last post I tried to catch you up on many, many things. In truth, even now, they are just TNC (medical abbreviation for "too numerous to count". There are some that come to mind quicker than others. Today I learned how to make fry bread. Think elephant ear from a carnival. My former boss, now turned a bestie friend and Navajo, came over before she went to church to show my how to make the dough. Later we'll fry. Not being much of a homecky-Becky in the past 20 years, my cooking skills are sorely lacking. And I never was a baker unless it came out of a box! So, learning to make dough for tortillas and fry bread will take some practice.
What started this desire to make fry bread you ask? Good question. I've wanted to. Tortilla and fry bread are a staple here. The catalyst though, was a Christmas gift called the "Sheep Herders Special" from a team member. It contains Blue Bird Flour (THE flour for baking here), salt, baking soda, a block of lard (from John Morrell no less--they bought Krey Packing which an uncle worked for all of my life until he retired and a St. Louis company), Spam, corned beef hash and enchilada sauce--hot enchilada sauce. I think this is the makings for the breakfast of Navajo champions. All I need is a boiled egg! Since Ernasha and I won't be making breakfast, we're doing the next best thing which is Navajo tacos: fry bread with beans, ground beef, onions, cheese and all on fry bread. My arteries are clogging as we speak.
I've taken up weaving. Why, I have no earthly idea except everyone else around here is doing it. And, no, Mom, if everyone played on the highway, I wouldn't follow them. (Why is it we play IN the street, but drive ON a highway? But I digress. {that one was for you Mags}) Back to weaving. Seriously, I don't care for warping. I get bored with the back and forth of it all. But I get to handle fiber. I can card the wool, spin it and weave it and that's fun. And with spinning, I can weave my not so nice yarns instead of knitting or crocheting them. Something to do with that wool. Not sure where I will put the looms (I've acquired three) when I get back home.
Work remains the main focus. There needs to be some serious life balancing going on. I try not to think about it when away from it, but it's difficult. I live to close, I think. Never far from it. Can get into the office easily when there isn't anything immediately to do. Trust me I have plenty to do that is not work related: several knitting projects on needles, three quilt projects (Ariana and Chelsey) and just other craft things I want to do. But I was raised no playing until the work is done. Unfortunately, what your parents don't tell you is the work is NEVER done. There will always be things at work or home that must be done to maintain. Hence the need for balance. I'm a grown up now. Adulting, the term of the ages, if you will and I can choose (big word there) to not work if I don't want to. So there! (she says with a stamp of her foot and arms crossed across her body.) I do make myself do things that I want to do and try now to tell myself I SHOULD do them.
I'm still in awe of the color of blue the sky is and how clear the blue is. It just takes my breath away. And today it's cold out there. Was -9 in the night! We do have wind chill here, but it isn't windy at the moment, so I guess you could say it's brisk and crispy! I've taken hundreds of pictures, but do I have one at the ready for this paragraph. Nope!
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